Chained existence
by Apprentice08
Summary: Being a apprentice is not all it is cracked up to be. It is a painful, sometimes humiliating job. Well every Master had to learn their skills from SOMEONE. Sometimes the Grand-master can be worse then the master.


**A/N: It's 11:42 pm and I had this random idea pop into my head as I was on so yeah it's a one shot and I think I am in love. **

**We all come from something, **

**That's just how it works. **

**We all come from nothing, **

**Because before conception we don't exist. **

**So what makes us, who we are? **

**What gives us our traits? **

**Some say our parents, **

**But that can sometimes be only skin deep. **

**We truly become us, **

**From watching other people. **

**And from being taught, **

**So what happens when you are taught everything …**

**from a psycho? **

**Why you become a psycho… of course. **

**-Guess who-**

Gears cranked and shifted, sweat and blood washed the floor, screams and cries of fight filled the air. But, only two people occupied the room. The room with endless space, with darkness hiding the far corners, with no escape from what was happening to a boy no older then fifteen. More screams and then silence.

"Apprentice, stand." A voice rang through the inky blackness.

"I-I can't…" a sickening smack arose in the dark, a cry of pain and then the same command.

"Apprentice…. Stand."

The small sound of shuffling, and then a small whimper and moan. "P-please, I need to stop, please…"

"Please what?" the older man purred.

A silence followed, the man's arms dropped from being folded across his chest and the boy felt him tense. "M-master!" he spit out almost painfully.

"It kills you to call me that doesn't it. You don't like answering to anyone, you like being your own person… but you can't anymore… and it's eating you up on the inside…"

The boy clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, he let out a growl and charged the larger man. A fist missed the man's face by an inch and the wrist was grabbed and forced behind the younger male's back. Then with a swift kick the boy's feet were out from under him and the older man through his weight down, the younger boy's arm was above his head and bent back.

The lecture position, enough pain to keep the boy from moving but not enough to keep him from hearing the man's words.

"Well you are just going to have to get use to it kid, you're my apprentice, that position is hard to fill, and even harder to get out of."

Another angry growl from the boy and then, "But I didn't ask for this, I didn't even want this. You can't force this upon me!"

"Oh, on the contrary apprentice, I own you now. Everyone thinks your dead. And when-- if ever they do-- they find out your alive, you will be to far gone to want to go back. It only takes a month or two to start to forget about them. Especially when you start stealing. When you feel that rush of endorphins, and the adrenaline racing through your veins. When you outsmart the foolish guard, or take down your first victim, you will start to fade from the light and slowly but surely, you will find your self-slinking slower and slower into the dark. In fact, I've already noticed you no longer ask me to go outside anymore…. You don't even try to escape, and it's only been 4 weeks. I think you are improving… then again… everything bout you is improving, you skills, your body, your mind… all growing and developing and slowly turning into the weapon I want you to be… you are becoming mine and you don't even care…"

An angry scream erupts from the boy and he smashes a knee into the man's face. "I will never be what you want me to be!" The boy moves swiftly and silently, rushing the man when he is down.

A deceitful and low move but he is angry and is not thinking. "No one, controls me!" he says and he slams his foot into the man's stomach. He let's out a grunt as he tries to pull his foot back and fails. He starts to panic and he falls, "Next time, aim for the head, away from my hands." The man says.

"That kick didn't even stun you did it?" the boy asked.

"Afraid not, how could it? Weak knee, bad angel, no where nearly enough power."

The man rose and, still holding the boy by his ankle, drug him across the floor.

"I suppose I shouldn't hold it against you, after all you are rather small for your age, barely sixteen and your only five foot four. But then again, you know better. You know much better."

He drops the boy's foot as he reaches his destination, "At least you look good in your armor." The boy stands and digs his nails into his calm, hoping he can control his temper. "You have always been very good at bottling up things, mostly your anger, I plan to teach you how to use it to your advantage…. If you ever learn to listen."

"I hate you." The boy says quietly.

Silence and then, "I know." The man says back. "I hated my own master too… in fact we got along almost worse then you and I do… but the fighting between us only strengthens our bond. When you finally do drop this pathetic act of pretending to care about your own life, you will find life with out me seems almost impractical."

The boy stood in silence, "How many bones have I broke today?" the man finally asked.

The boy thought in his mind and almost refused to answer, "Speak up apprentice." A small sound of annoyance in his master's voice was enough to loosen the boy's tongue. "Three, two ribs and my wrist."

"Hmmm.. the ribs aren't hard to fix, but the wrist could take awhile…. Go to the medical bay, Forest will wrap you up and send you to bed with meds. Tomorrow we start a different type of training till you heal…"

The boy turned slowly, hating the fact he had to obey this man.

"And Slade, next time you talk back to me, or refuse to spare, you will find there are worse things then a few cracked or broken bones and a long winded lecture."

The boy looked back at the man, "Yes…" he said.

"Yes… what?" the man asked.

"Yes… master."

"That's my boy."

Slade left and the man started to chuckle knowing full well he had chosen the perfect apprentice.

**A/N: It's kinda cliché but I love it. **


End file.
